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Corn risotto

Corn risotto for web

Corn and risotto are not an obvious pairing. Corn is not that Italian (unless you’re talking about polenta) but hear me out. The sweetness of the corn and the sweet bite of Parmesan work, and really show each other off. The butteriness of the corn means I end up throwing less butter in too, not that that's the aim, just a nice side note. This risotto is perfect to cook when supplies are low, as the ingredient list is quite short and it requires just a hob. You can use blanched frozen corn in the winter too. I love stirring a risotto – to me there’s nothing more comforting to cook or eat.

Duration
45 mins - 1 hr
Difficulty
Easy
Serves
4
Corn risotto for web

Ingredients

  • 3 corn on the cob
  • 800ml vegetable stock
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
  • 1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 200g risotto rice (I use carnaroli)
  • 250ml (a large glass) white wine
  • 60g grated vegetarian Parmesan or vegan Parmesan-style, cheese, plus extra to serve
  • 1 large knob of butter or more olive oil
  • 1 green chilli, de-seeded and very finely chopped

  1. Cut the corn from the cobs

    First, cut the corn kernels from the cobs into a bowl, then chop the shaved cobs into three.

  2. Heat the veg stock + corn

    Pour the vegetable stock into a deep pan, add the chopped cobs and bring to a simmer, then keep warm over a low heat while you make the risotto, as you’ll want it to be hot when adding it to the rice.

  3. Blitz a quarter of the corn

    In a food processor, blitz a quarter of the kernels with a tablespoon of stock, until smooth and creamy; set aside to add later.

  4. Cook the base + the rice

    Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large pan, add the celery, onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, until everything is soft and sweet, but not browned. Turn up the heat, add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes to seal the grains, then add the wine and let it evaporate.

  5. Add the stock slowly

    Once all the wine has evaporated, turn the heat down to medium-low and start adding the stock a ladleful at a time, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed as you stir it in. When half the stock has been added, stir in the remaining corn kernels, then continue adding the stock until the rice is cooked but still has a little bite to it, and the corn is tender. This will take about 30 minutes in total.

  6. Stir in the cheese + blitzed corn

    Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the cheese, blitzed corn, the butter and some salt and pepper. Pop a lid on top and leave to rest for a minute or two, then serve immediately, topped with a little extra grated Parmesan and the chopped chilli.

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